Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Physics

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Assessment of Uranium Concentration in Drinking Water around Khetri Copper Mine Region in Rajasthan, India


Affiliations
1 Centre of Radio Ecology & Department of Physics, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana 125 001, India
2 Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, J.C. Bose University of Science and Technology, YMCA Faridabad, Haryana 121 006, India
 

Due to serious consequences for human health, it's crucial to know how much uranium (U) is present in our drinking water. The samples of water from various means, viz., hand pumps (HP), tube wells (TB), and public submersible pumps (PSP) from depths of 190 to 1200 feet, with an average depth of 694feet around the Khetri Copper mine in the Sikar and Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India have been tested for Physico-chemical contents and their uranium levels. The Pulsed LED Fluorimetry method is used to determine the U conc. in water samples. Uranium levels in water samples have been measured to range from 0.68 - 233 µg/l. The U conc. in 28.34% of samples is higher than the WHO & USEPA recommended limit of 30 µg/l and 18.34% of the samples have U conc. higher than the AERB threshold limit of 60µg/l. The annual effective dose is also calculated and its mean value is found to be12.29 µSv/y due to the ingestion of ground-water. The average cancer mortality risk and average morbidity risk are found to be 9.5×10-5 to 1.47×10-4 lower than the threshold limit of 1.67×10-4 indicating the absence of carcinogenic risks. The chemical risk estimated in terms of LADD (life-time average daily dose) value is found to be in the range of 0.05–17.15 µg/kg/day. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) for 18.34% of samples is found greater than unity which indicates the health risk due to the chemical toxicity of U in groundwater. Total Dissolve Salts (TDS) values in some of the water samples are greater than the acceptable limits for drinking water recommended by BIS (500-2000 ppm).

Keywords

Groundwater, LED Fluorimetry, Mining Zone, Physicochemical Parameters, Risk Factor, Uranium.
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  • Assessment of Uranium Concentration in Drinking Water around Khetri Copper Mine Region in Rajasthan, India

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Authors

Naresh Kumar
Centre of Radio Ecology & Department of Physics, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana 125 001, India
Bhupesh Khyalia
Centre of Radio Ecology & Department of Physics, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana 125 001, India
Rekha Dhiman
Centre of Radio Ecology & Department of Physics, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana 125 001, India
Jyoti Yadav
Centre of Radio Ecology & Department of Physics, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana 125 001, India
Balvinder Singh
Centre of Radio Ecology & Department of Physics, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana 125 001, India
Vivek Gupta
Centre of Radio Ecology & Department of Physics, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana 125 001, India
Renuka Gupta
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, J.C. Bose University of Science and Technology, YMCA Faridabad, Haryana 121 006, India
Ranjeet Dalal
Centre of Radio Ecology & Department of Physics, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana 125 001, India

Abstract


Due to serious consequences for human health, it's crucial to know how much uranium (U) is present in our drinking water. The samples of water from various means, viz., hand pumps (HP), tube wells (TB), and public submersible pumps (PSP) from depths of 190 to 1200 feet, with an average depth of 694feet around the Khetri Copper mine in the Sikar and Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India have been tested for Physico-chemical contents and their uranium levels. The Pulsed LED Fluorimetry method is used to determine the U conc. in water samples. Uranium levels in water samples have been measured to range from 0.68 - 233 µg/l. The U conc. in 28.34% of samples is higher than the WHO & USEPA recommended limit of 30 µg/l and 18.34% of the samples have U conc. higher than the AERB threshold limit of 60µg/l. The annual effective dose is also calculated and its mean value is found to be12.29 µSv/y due to the ingestion of ground-water. The average cancer mortality risk and average morbidity risk are found to be 9.5×10-5 to 1.47×10-4 lower than the threshold limit of 1.67×10-4 indicating the absence of carcinogenic risks. The chemical risk estimated in terms of LADD (life-time average daily dose) value is found to be in the range of 0.05–17.15 µg/kg/day. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) for 18.34% of samples is found greater than unity which indicates the health risk due to the chemical toxicity of U in groundwater. Total Dissolve Salts (TDS) values in some of the water samples are greater than the acceptable limits for drinking water recommended by BIS (500-2000 ppm).

Keywords


Groundwater, LED Fluorimetry, Mining Zone, Physicochemical Parameters, Risk Factor, Uranium.

References